‘The silly creature does not know how to profit by her chances; so much
the better for me.’
When night came Fiordelisa said all the loving words she could think of,
but alas! with no better success than before, for the King slept heavily
after his draught. One of the pages said:
‘This peasant girl must be crazy;’ but another answered:
‘Yet what she says sounds very sad and touching.’
As for Fiordelisa, she thought the King must have a very hard heart if
he could hear how she grieved and yet pay her no attention. She had but
one more chance, and on breaking the last egg she found to her great
delight that it contained a more marvellous thing than ever. It was
a pie made of six birds, cooked to perfection, and yet they were all
alive, and singing and talking, and they answered questions and told
fortunes in the most amusing way. Taking this treasure Fiordelisa once
more set herself to wait in the great hall through which Turritella was
sure to pass, and as she sat there one of the King’s pages came by, and
said to her:
‘Well, little kitchen-maid, it is a good thing that the King always
takes a sleeping draught, for if not he would be kept awake all night by
your sighing and lamenting.’
Then Fiordelisa knew why the King had not heeded her, and taking a
handful of pearls and diamonds out of her sack, she said, ‘If you can
promise me that to-night the King shall not have his sleeping draught, I
will give you all these jewels.’
‘Oh! I promise that willingly,’ said the page.
At this moment Turritella appeared, and at the first sight of the
savoury pie, with the pretty little birds all singing and chattering,
she cried:--
‘That is an admirable pie, little kitchen-maid. Pray what will you take
for it?’
‘The usual price,’ she answered. ‘To sleep once more in the Chamber of
Echoes.’
‘By all means, only give me the pie,’ said the greedy Turritella. And
when night was come, Queen Fiordelisa waited until she thought everybody
in the palace would be asleep, and then began to lament as before.
‘Ah, Charming!’ she said, ‘what have I ever done that you should forsake
me and marry Turritella? If you could only know all I have suffered, and
what a weary way I have come to seek you.’
Now the page had faithfully kept his word, and given King Charming a
glass of water instead of his usual sleeping draught, so there he lay
wide awake, and heard every word Fiordelisa said, and even recognised
her voice, though he could not tell where it came from.
‘Ah, Princess!’ he said, ‘how could you betray me to our cruel enemies
when I loved you so dearly?’
Fiordelisa heard him, and answered quickly:
‘Find out the little kitchen-maid, and she will explain everything.’
Then the King in a great hurry sent for his pages and said:
‘If you can find the little kitchen-maid, bring her to me at once.’
‘Nothing could be easier, Sire,’ they answered, ‘for she is in the
Chamber of Echoes.’
The King was very much puzzled when he heard this. How could the lovely
Princess Fiordelisa be a little kitchen-maid? or how could a little
kitchen-maid have Fiordelisa’s own voice? So he dressed hastily, and
ran down a little secret staircase which led to the Chamber of Echoes.
There, upon a heap of soft cushions, sat his lovely Princess. She had
laid aside all her ugly disguises and wore a white silken robe, and her
golden hair shone in the soft lamp-light. The King was overjoyed at the
sight, and rushed to throw himself at her feet, and asked her a thousand
questions without giving her time to answer one. Fiordelisa was equally
happy to be with him once more, and nothing troubled them but the
remembrance of the Fairy Mazilla. But at this moment in came the
Enchanter, and with him a famous Fairy, the same in fact who had given
Fiordelisa the eggs. After greeting the King and Queen, they said that
as they were united in wishing to help King Charming, the Fairy Mazilla
had no longer any power against him, and he might marry Fiordelisa as
soon as he pleased. The King’s joy may be imagined, and as soon as it
was day the news was spread through the palace, and everybody who saw
Fiordelisa loved her directly. When Turritella heard what had happened
she came running to the King, and when she saw Fiordelisa with him she
was terribly angry, but before she could say a word the Enchanter and
the Fairy changed her into a big brown owl, and she floated away out of
one of the palace windows, hooting dismally. Then the wedding was held
with great splendour, and King Charming and Queen Fiordelisa lived
happily ever after.
L’Oiseau Bleu. Par Mme. d’Aulnoy.